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Battle Mountain, NV Car Consumer Discussions

Re: jetta brake wear [trepine]

by trepine on Mon Jul 07 17:01:13 PDT 2008

An update So I talked to my dealer service representative today and here's what they (HOY-FOX in El Paso, TX) said: "It's driver habit" that caused your brakes to wear prematurely and we aren't paying for anything. You need to pay 270$ more to fix your brake pads and replace both rotors and everything else was working perfectly. It's your fault and we aren't responsible." Needless to say, I'm flabbergasted. I said before how I felt they were trying to find a way to blame me for this and that they insinuated that it was my fault right from the beginning...well, now they've made it official. And for the record, they stated this is what VOLKSWAGEN told them not them as the dealers. When I mentioned this forum, the other people who reported early brake failure on the web, the other people who drive the exact same route I do to work (which is over a 5000 ft altitude mountain pass called Transmountain Drive x about 15miles each way) who don't have brake problems, the other 3 manual transmission cars I've had that didn't burn out their brakes, and the fact that no mechanic that has seen this car nor any of the lifelong mechanic friends/family that I know have ever heard of a car completely burning out its brakes at 4200 miles, they reassured me that I was wrong and that is was my fault and that they wouldn't pay for it. Furthermore, they told me I was wrong to not bring it to them immediately upon hearing the brakes grinding--even though I only heard it for 1 week and by the time it was grinding it was ALREADY metal on metal and that I did call to make an appt and they told me it would be 1 week for me to see them even though I described having brake problems. Then they said that I screwed up by taking it to Meineke first. Meineke about 1mile from my house and I pass it on the way home every day. When I took it to them, I was still convinced it was just a rock, after all "it was still practically brand new and ONLY HAD 4200 miles". I figured i'd just get a quick look and hopefully fix a simple problem and when they took off my rear wheels they (the whole shop of mechanics) couldn't believe that I had metal on metal in both rear brakes. They stated they'd never seen this before even in cars with 10000 miles. I made the mistake of letting Meineke replace the brake pads right then for 150$ out of pocket already before I got my act together and called Hoy-Fox and told them that I was bringing my car to them THAT SAME DAY no matter when they would see it because it wasn't safe to drive. I brought the car to the VW dealer the same day I had a mechanic tell me that I had serious problems with my brakes...not a rock. I actually thought they might even reimburse me for already buying the brake pads, dumb ol' me--they felt that having Meineke inspect my car and change the brake pads should void the warranty, which they were already saying didn't cover my brakes anyway. That's service huh! So, I have lots of sympathy from people who aren't the ones working for Hoy Fox, Volkswagen, or the auto service industry in general, and I don't have a lot of appreciation for how I've been treated so far. I complained directly to VOLKSWAGEN on their hotline at 1-800-822-8987. They are looking into it directly and I expect to know more from them tomorrow. I've challenged them, and ask you all too, to come up with another example of a car with total metal on metal brake wear in 4200 miles that they think is from driver habit...excluding monster trucks and Indy 500 cars I guess. How far do you think you could drive without ruining the brakes with the parking brake on? Not sure what I can do now. I think they should pay for new brakes and I've told them that directly. If they do, then I'm still not sure what the future will hold--maybe I can ask them to plough Transmountain drive flat so that my driving habits don't endanger my car's health. If the brakes burn out every 4months, ...assuming that I don't die in a fiery wreck with no brakes,...then that should be about 250-500$ a pop. I am looking into my options for legal action and contract violations on the part of the lease, but this is almost always a losing battle it seems. If Volkswagen decides that they aren't going to fix this car, then I'm not sure even more. But that would be one step closer to recommending to the known universe every chance I get not to get involved with VW. This company is renowned for its service? :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: Tom

More evidence that the earth is Warming...??

by gagrice on Sat Jun 14 13:01:03 PDT 2008

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Wednesday, June 11th 2008, 10:31 AM After a winter of heavy snowfall that forced repeated closure of mountain passes, unseasonably cold conditions have continued long into spring in Washington's Cascade Range. Paradise, the jumping-off point for the trail to Camp Muir, received 2 feet of fresh snow over Monday night, with 5-foot drifts and 70 mph winds at Camp Muir, Bacher said. "Nobody expects a blizzard in June," he said. Rangers received a call at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday that three hikers had been trapped in the sudden blizzard on the Muir snowfield as they were descending. The three apparently built a snow shelter at about 9,500 feet. The weather prevented an immediate rescue attempt after their call, Bacher said. The other male hiker left the married couple and battled through heavy snow to reach Camp Muir at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday and was able to direct rescuers to the other hikers near Anvil Rock, a large outcropping at the edge of the Muir snowfield. The others were brought to a shelter at Camp Muir about an hour later, but the woman's husband was unconscious and later died, Bacher said. He suffered from hypothermia and frostbite.

Re: Pontiac G8 [captain2]

by louiswei on Thu Mar 20 09:07:17 PDT 2008

The G8 is a big car just like the 300, how it would be that much better just doesn't 'figure'. It's all about the steering response and handling, my captain. ;) From Inside Line's Comparison Test: 2008 Dodge Charger R/T vs. 2008 Pontiac G8 GT: - First of all, these are not small cars. But the Charger is even bigger than the G8. Slightly. - When the two are parked side by side, the Charger appears even larger than it is relative to the G8. It also drives bigger. - Just because the Charger is rear-wheel drive doesn't mean it's at home in the twisties. Hard cornering in the Charger is all about plenty of steering input and body roll. The steering is relatively slow and absolutely numb, but the front tires scream and squeal enough to let you and the world know they're struggling under the weight of this 4,135-pound sedan. - In contrast, the G8's suspension could be a direct lift from the BMW 5 Series. It isn't, but the G8's MacPherson strut front and four-link rear suspension with progressive-rate coil-over shocks is very similar to the BMW's traditional 5 Series design. As a result, the Pontiac G8 GT rides a lot like, yup, a BMW. - Sure it rides more stiffly than the Dodge, but that hardly means it's uncomfortable. - The steering feels much quicker than the Mopar's and the tires feel sutured to the road. - On a mountain road, the G8 GT will simply run away from the Charger R/T. Like I've said, it's a battle between an Australian 5er and an American 4-door muscle car.

Re: What did you pay for '08 w/Tech Package? [langjie]

by hiwayman on Tue Dec 18 16:07:49 PST 2007

That seems to be the neighborhood for the top-o-the-line NAH. We paid right in the same area (can't remember exactly). Have seen roughly the same price, give or take for others that have gotten a pretty good deal. The 24K Mazda6 paid wouldn't have been for a Tech Package w/leather. There's a mid-range package called the Connection Package that probably is in that price range. The car is really a blast to drive. I've driven Priuses, and found them to be, well, boring. Yeah, you feel good about saving gas, but geeky at the same time. It's particularly fun when someone is tailgating you, because they see the "hybrid" badge on the NAH trunk, and think they're following an anemically powered gas sipper. You stomp the pedal, and not even very hard, and, like Clark Kent, the car turns from a mild mannered transporter into something that feels like it is able to leap tall buidlings. I've seen more than one tail gater with a look of surprise on their face... ;) Still getting used to a "no shift" transmission, but so far it behaves very well except in one case. On long downhills out of mountains, the car uses the engine to regenerate power (charge the battery). Once the battery is charged, the engine seems to overspeed, as the load is released by the computer. A slight pressure on the gas pedal stops the overspeeding sound, and slows the engine a bit...probably OK, but seems odd. No worries with us about the light-colored headliner. We used to have a car with a dark headliner, and on hot summer days, it would radiate heat for 10 minutes after the car got underway, until the AC could battle the heat into submission. Our experience with the headliner and moon roof is that we can get in the car, crack the moon roof at the rear (press the moonroof switch on the "closed" side, even if it's already closed) , run the AC, and the heat rises out of the car within a minute or so. Someone at Nissan was using their noggin.

Re: Experience with 2000 Odyssey [angelaychu]

by 2002odie on Thu Feb 28 12:16:24 PST 2008

I agree. What totally angered me was not the fact that the transmission failed, but it was the way that Honda handled it. Their attitude toward the customer was just awful. They just don't seem to care about human lives. What is even more frustrating is the fact that I am reading about various levels of "success" that people are having when dealing with American Honda to get the transmission replaced and the varying amounts that they ended up having to pay. There are also numerous postings at odyclub.com, you should check it out, just search "transmission"... The fact the people have to fight for a cost reduction and that people pay various amounts from $0 - $$$$$ is disgusting. Honda should have taken responsibility long ago on this issue and should have been upfront with their customers with some type of consistent unified notification. At least let people know what to expect, and not find out the hard way when their van loaded with their closest loved ones onboard suddenly dies in the middle of the road, or worse yet, going 70mph on the freeway, or on a mountain road, or while crossing train tracks, etc.. Just face the facts, people buy minivans to move their families (and especially small children); it's not a delivery van for contractors. Transmission issues should be the highest safety priority, not hidden and dealt with on a "case by case" basis by Honda's poor excuse for case managers. The least they should have done was to send out notices that the transmission has a potential problem, and that if you are out of warranty, have the warranty extended, (...or better yet retrofit the transmission with one of a better design?). I understand every manufacturer has issues, but at least deal with them in a civilized manner. I owned Ford products and in general they were trouble free, and they had recalls. But you know what? They had recalls. At least they took the responsibility to fix issues before things got out of hand, and they took care of their customers, not treating them like dirt as was my experience with American Honda. I was never unhappy with their service, at least I felt like they cared enough to take care of things... Even if it's out of warranty, at least have a fixed amount that everyone could be charged for a replacement, rather than battle it out one on one with everyone that calls in to open a case and see how much $$$ Honda and the dealer can screw people out of. They could say "your transmission might fail, if so and you are out of the warranty coverage, you will need to pay X amount to have it repaired at that time." (or prorate it based on mileage/age...) At least that would have been the honest and ethical approach. Then people won't have to worry about fighting for the "privilege" of paying $2300 instead of $5500...wow, what a great "deal". And when they do replace the transmission, why can't they provide a redesigned unit that addresses the failure mode, rather than pop in another copy of the one that just failed? Should I have to expect to go through this whole ordeal later on down the line? And what's the deal about having "dealer loyalty" and getting better treatment if you have all your service done at the dealership? That is a bunch of bull$&*#! What does that have to do with how much you end up paying for a new transmission? It's just another way for them to make you feel bad for not having the dealer screw you out of more $$$ for overpriced services! Case Manger and Dealer: "Oh, since you don't have an established service history we can't help you out as much." What's up with that?!! ===================================== Another serious safety issue is the idle air control valve, which I just changed last night (2 hours to get to 2 screws on the actual part, after disassmbling the entire throttle body assembly to get to it...) I've never seen a throttle body with so many electrical, air, and coolant connectors coming out it before in my whole life! This is also part that should not fail, because it directly affects whether or not your engine stays on when it should. I have never heard of this part before, because I have never had one fail on me, until this Odyssey... The AIC valve is controlled by the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), which also controls the transmission. This valve gets clogged with soot/carbon build up from the "engine side" of the throttle body (believe me, I saw it when I took it out...a lot of burnt black dust stuck in there). When it gets clogged, the valve cannot turn and control the idle speed of the engine, so the RPM's will surge between 1000-2000RPM (the tach needle will go up and down repeatedly and there is coolant that will leak into the engine from the AIC valve and burn to produce big plumes of white exhaust smoke...) and while at the stop light, the engine will drop below 1000RPM and just die. It also died on me while making a right turn going up a driveway to get into a parking lot of a shopping center...imagine if there was a car behind me...I would have gotten rear ended, or if there was anyone in front of me, I would have hit them (car or pedestrian), because the entire car lost power (including the power brakes...) ...yet another poor design from this lawnmower manufacturer? This should not be a part "that just normally wears out and needs replacement." I am ok with basic car work (oil changes, air filters, windshield wipers, spark plugs, etc...) but I have never had to learn so much about an engine until now! ========================= So where is Honda reliability? It does not exist. So where is the dream of 100,000-200,000 miles of trouble free Japanese car reliability? It does not exist. (If it ever did, it does not exist anymore...) So where is Honda Customer Service? In the sewer. ========================== 2002 Odyssey EX-L/RES 89,300miles New Transmission New PCM New Motor Mounts New AIC Valve Coming up on: Timing Belt/Spark Plugs/Front Brakes/Brake Fluid Flush/Coolant Flush (More $$$ down the drain) ==========================

Little sporty diesel luxury

by jlbl on Mon Feb 11 03:20:06 PST 2008

I have just posted this in other Edmunds Forum, but I think it also belongs here: Back from a Pyrenees/Alps driving tour in a BMW 1 Series. Here is the report. The car: A rented, battled :cry: 2007 118d 3-door; 6 speed manual gearbox; basic equipment (standard seats, no flat-run tires, no active steering). But she got EfficientDynamics (braking-energy storage/delivering and engine stop/start system at full stops). The journey: 1,600 miles on highways and mountain roads, from sea-shore up to 6,666 foot-high and back. Three one-day stages to go (the first one to Cauterets at Central Pyrenees, the other two to Aime-La-Plagne 2000 close to the Mont-Blanc at The Alps). Only one stage back from there (700 miles; 14 hours encompassing the Foster's Milleau Viaduct :surprise: and stops every 2/3 hours). The load: Two adult persons with all necessary skiing stuff and assorted wear—it including some party clothing—for two weeks. The ride (on the front seats): Comfortable for people up to 6 feet-tall. Rear seats were folded; I cannot say anything about sitting on the latter for a long while. The drivers: My wife and I, even turns. The speed (highways): Cruising at about 81-85 miles•hour, with ocassional peaks up to 99 miles•hour. A couple of nasty traffic jams take off an hour and a half from the joy of driving. A couple of dozens of tolling gates did it too. The driving: That little diesel BMW is really a BMW. It is not a street car. She is more like a small-size roadster. Steering and cornering was accurate and balanced. Stability was assured under any circumstance (e.g., hard braking). Enough acceleration for cruising and climbing even at the final mountain-road laces. To my surprise, the stop/start function worked nicely; it was intuitive and unobtrusive with the stop-and-go driving at the traffic jams and lights. Comfort was not bad given the size of the car. All in all, the car behaved pretty pretty well. My wife liked this car even more than ours 530d and Mini Cooper. I agreed with her she is a great car for having fun, but I'd rather keep going with Series 3 or 5 because of the passenger/cargo space. And the full trip averaged mileage was… 40.55 miles•gallon (USA Units). How good, how well: less is more! :shades: Regards, Jose Foster's Milleau Viaduct at http://www.fosterandpartners.com/Projects/1158/Default.aspx More car specifications (taken from link title) : Model: BMW 118d 3-door Price: from £18,225 Engine: 1,995cc, four cylinders, 16 valves, turbodiesel, 143bhp at 4,000rpm, 258lb ft at 2,000rpm (British Units) Transmission: six-speed gearbox, rear-wheel drive Performance: 130mph, 0-62 in 8.9sec, 60.1mpg official average (British Units); CO2: 123g/km Also: http://www.topgear.com/blogs/drives/070-bmw-118d/